The takeaway. If you have Achilles tendonitis or other Achilles tendon issues, you can do stretches to help recovery. These moves improve mobility by loosening up the tendon. Strengthening exercises can also tone the calf and heel muscles attached to the tendon.

Wall Stretch Place the toes of the front foot up the wall and press the heel into the floor (this is the leg that will be stretched). Lean into the stretch and perform it with a straight and bent knee just as the previous stretch to target both muscles of the calf, as in Figure 12 below.

Calf stretch

1. Place your hands on a wall for balance. You can also do this with your hands on the back of a chair, a countertop, or a tree.
2. Step back with your left leg.
3. Press your hips forward, bending your right leg slightly.
4. Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
5. Repeat 2 to 4 times for each leg.

So are compression socks or sleeves good for shin splints, calf cramps / strains, and Achilles tendonitis? The answer is yes, however, they will not cure any condition if the only thing you are doing to help your injury is wear compression.

As the tendon becomes overloaded it often becomes thicker in the middle of the tendon just above (approx 5 cm above) where the Achilles tendon inserts in to the heel bone. It will feel tight and sore first thing in the morning or when starting exercise.

It is important to remember that it may take at least 2 to 3 months for the pain to go away. Try putting ice on the Achilles tendon area for 15 to 20 minutes, 2 to 3 times per day.

Treating Achilles tendonitis

1. reducing your physical activity.
2. very gently stretching and later strengthening your calf muscles.
3. switching to a different, less strenuous sport.
4. icing the area after exercise or when in pain.
5. elevating your foot to decrease any swelling.
6. wearing a brace or walking boot to prevent heel movement.

To speed the process, you can:

1. Rest your leg.
2. Ice it.
3. Compress your leg.
4. Raise (elevate) your leg.
5. Take anti-inflammatory painkillers.
6. Use a heel lift.
7. Practice stretching and strengthening exercises as recommended by your doctor, physical therapist, or other health care provider.

Symptoms

1. The feeling of having been kicked in the calf.
2. Pain, possibly severe, and swelling near the heel.
3. An inability to bend the foot downward or “push off” the injured leg when walking.
4. An inability to stand on the toes on the injured leg.
5. A popping or snapping sound when the injury occurs.

slide 1 of 5, Toe stretch,

• Sit in a chair, and extend your affected leg so that your heel is on the floor.
• With your hand, reach down and pull your big toe up and back. Pull toward your ankle and away from the floor.
• Hold the position for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
• Repeat 2 to 4 times a session, several times a day.

Exercise is at the heart of treatment for tendon tightness and stiffness. If you do not want your muscles to tighten or stiffen, then you must help keep them flexible by stretching them gradually with stretching exercises or yoga. Stretching will help your muscles to relax and loosen and remain flexible.

Massage therapy can help decrease swelling, improve circulation and help restore mobility to the area. The friction caused by massage can stimulate production of collagen in damaged tendons and heal the area rapidly.

Contracture of tendon sheath is most common in the tendons of the wrist, hands, and feet. It often happens after a tendon-related injury in which a tendon sheath stays irritated for too long or heals incorrectly. Other causes include deformity, certain diseases, and long-term immobility, or lack of use.

For years, we have been managing insertional tendinopathy through stretches and exercises, often with varied results. The more severe the tendinopathy, the less likely stretching would help. In fact, stretching results in further compression of the tendon at the irritation point, which actually worsens the pain.

Untreated tendonitis can develop into chronic tendinosis and cause permanent degradation of your tendons. In some cases, it can even lead to tendon rupture, which requires surgery to fix. So if you suspect tendonitis, stop doing the activities that cause the most pain.

Most damage heals in about two to four weeks, but chronic tendinitis can take more than six weeks, often because the sufferer doesn’t give the tendon time to heal. In chronic cases, there may be restriction of motion of the joint due to scarring or narrowing of the sheath of tissue that surrounds the tendon.

Vitamin C helps your body make collagen, which helps maintain the integrity of your bones, muscles, skin and tendons ( 2 , 14 , 15 ). Therefore, getting enough vitamin C from your diet is a great way to help your body rebuild tissue after an injury.

Recently, it has been shown that ballistic stretching can significantly increase tendon elasticity. These findings have important clinical implications for treatment and prevention of tendon injuries.

More than 90% of tendon injuries are long term in nature, and 33-90% of these chronic rupture symptoms go away without surgery. In contrast, acute rupture, as occurs with trauma, may or may not be repaired surgically depending on the severity of the tear.

Although many minor tendon and ligament injuries heal on their own, an injury that causes severe pain or pain that does not lessen in time will require treatment. A doctor can quickly diagnose the problem and recommend an appropriate course of treatment.